Customer Reviews

The Second Coming: Signs of Christ's Return and the End of the Age

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If you've ever wondered about eschatology, MacArthur's got a very simple book here. Written on the level of those who've never dealt with anything dealing with the end times, he gives a very sobering and balanced view (representing the premillennial, pretribulational rapture). He decries 'newspaper theology' and goes to great lengths to steer believers away from the kooks and loonies like Jack Van Impe, the Lalondes, Hal Lindsey, John Hagee and others. He encourages believers to work as though Christ could appear at any moment to take them away, yet at the same time work as if He is afar off, redeeming our time while here on earth.

The book also serves as MacArthur's volley on full preterism (a heretical view which teaches that ALL prophecy has been fulfiled, including the second coming of Christ), with a few smacks and jabs at partial preterism (which teaches that MOST prophecy was fulfilled at 70 A.D. and we still await the second coming of Christ), since both use the same hermeneutical system.

This is another great work of expository teaching by Dr. John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church and the president of Grace to You radio ministry. In this book, Dr. MacArthur examines the Olivet Discourse (in particular, Matthew 24), which focuses in on the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, the Tribulation, and the coming of the Son of Man. Using the other passages of the Bible to explain and elucidate the Matthew passage.

Overall, I found this to be a fascinating and wonderfully informative read. Dr. MacArthur eschews the all too often taken path of trying to suggest that the events are right around the corner, and instead explains why it is important that Christ returns and how to view the imminence of the return. Now, as you would expect with Dr. MacArthur, he does take an unapologetic premillenial, pretribulation, dispensational view of the text - but, he does examine the preterist view of 24:32-35, and shows how it is out of step with their view of the rest of the passage.

Yes, I must say I really enjoyed this non-sensation, highly informative look at the Olivet Discourse. If you want to read a truly mind-expanding view of that passage, then I would highly recommend that you get this book. I give it my highest recommendations!

John MacArthur has done a pretty good job in this book. It's light reading- nothing too heavy here. The one thing I appreciate about this book is that he puts the focus on Christ (contra the focus on signs like Van Impe, Lindsey and other sensationalistic writers). MacArthur's writings will make you have a more humble attitude toward the Second Coming of Christ. I recommend this book for beginners and even for a few folks who are already familiar with premillennial eschatology.

I'd like to see MacArthur expand further on this topic.

This book gives an excellent overview of God's eternal plan for Israel and the Church. It does not provide a whole lot of nuts and bolts eschatology, but I don't think that was the author's intent. I strongly recommend it for the reader who wants to seek and embrace God's eternal plan for his children. After reading this book, I would recommend "End Times" by Walvoord for a more detailed eschatological account.

This book was weakly written. I've read plenty of MacArthur's books, and was severely disappointed in this one. I know he could have done better. Its brevity and lack of substance clearly represented the publisher's attempt at a quick buck. A weighty subject of this nature deserves more than that!

There is scarcely a more passionately debated topic within Christianity than Eschatology (the study of future events). John MacArthur admits this in his book The Second Coming: Signs of Christ's Return and the End of the Age. MacArthur comes across as one who is convinced of the value of what he has to say but is nonetheless irritated by the persistent irrelevant chatter that too often surrounds the topic. As a result he does expose the folly of the half-baked future snoopers who are consumed with making the UN the one world religion as they sit in their lawn chairs waiting for the rapture.

In addition, MacArthur takes aim at preterism, the view that the prophecies of Matthew 24 were all fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. He also distinguishes between partial preterism and hyper preterism. The main difference between the two here is the denial of a bodily future return of Christ and a literal bodily resurrection of the dead (this is denied by hyper preterists not partial preterists).

The book is not an active assault on preterism (of any form) however, it is a passive engagement of these systems through a promotion of a literal premillennial return of Jesus Christ.

The book is in large part an expositional teaching through Matthew 24-25, also referred to as the Olivet Discourse. Along the way MacArthur maintains three helpful features that make this book a helpful and worthwhile read:

-1- Clear: MacArthur has come to be known as the guy who can take a complex passage or concept and easily explain it. You cannot help but understand the Second Coming better after reading this book.

-2- Consistent Hermeneutic: the book is also a study in hermeneutics. The author regularly pulls you aside to confirm why he concludes what he concludes. Over and over again he says things like, "if the simple sense makes the most sense seek no other sense." For example in discussing the oft debated passage of Matthew 24.34 referring to "this generation" MacArthur interacts with the Preterist view that this generation was those whom Jesus was speaking to:

"But if verse 34 is to be understood with such wooden literalness, the rest of the Olivet Discourse must be spiritualized to otherwise interpreted figuratively in order to explain how Christ's prophecies could all have been fulfilled by A.D. 70 without His returning bodily to earth" (p.80).

-3- Ethical Eschatology: Too often people (particularly futurists) get so caught up in charts and graphs that the real issue gets lost. The reality of the Second Coming is that it should radically change the way we live now. The author regularly revisits this need. In good homiletical fashion MacArthur finds regular application necessary in this book. The final chapter is even a concise call to be ready, How to Prepare for Christ's Return.

As is the case with MacArthur's preaching this book is an edifying tool. The reading level is not difficult even considering the subject. I would recommend it both to folks who want to get there feet wet studying eschatology as well as a tool for those who are seeking answers to intermediate level questions. To this end the glossary at the end most certainly will prove helpful.

Good book for a christian just wanting to know the general details on Christ's 2nd Coming. Doesn't get into an in depth study. Good for a new christian.

Excellent transaction. Book was said to be used. It was like new. I am very pleased with it. This is now my first source for books.

MacArthur writes a Biblically consistent book once again which will light a fire under the preterist views of scripture. For the Bible to be truth it is necessary that the entire Bible be true in context and consistent internally within itself. If this falls down in any one instance than there is a precedent and reason to doubt other segments. Our faith is based on a trust and understanding that the Bible as God's Revealed Word is entirely true in every instance in context. This presents a terrific conflict for the preterist because there are extensive and numerous scriptures that relate God's plan for Israel in the end times. These extensive prophecies in Isaiah, Ezekiel,Daniel, Zechariah,and Revelation can only be future in context since most of them simply have not yet occurred. It is simplistic and obvious to verify this by simple reading of these scriptures. The preterist spiritualizes all of these numerous prophecies away thereby twisting obvious straight forward interpretation. What MacArthur has done is describe the only known context of those scriptures to yield consistent truth of the Bible as a whole. This context does not require spiritualizing or twisting the numerous prophetic scriptures from simple interpretation and, in fact, provides the basis for which everything can be seen to simply hang together. Although labeled a dispensationalist by a number of commenters, I doubt MacArthur considers himself a dispensationalist, but rather simply that the Bible is clear that God is not finished with Israel in the end times or the millenial reign. This does not mean there is a different dispensation wherein Israel or anyone can be saved apart from regeneration by the Father's will through the work of the Holy Spirit in a sinners heart to come to Christ (see John Ch. 6)

MacArthur is, as always, faithful to scripture in this book and it is recommended as a great overview of eschatology. Much more can be said and has been in the MacArthur Commentaries on Revalation, the book "Because the Time is Near, the MacArthur Study Bible, and numerous sermons available online. This book is a great introductory overview of a subject on which many have had little if any instruction.

MacArthur's book is an excellent defender of premillenialism, and a primer on the pretribulation rapture view. The fallacies of the preterist position become obvious from the careful exposition of scripture.

In this reviewer's opinion, however, MacArthur does not provide sufficient scriptural evidence for claiming that the 70th Week of Daniel is synonymous with a 7-year "Tribulation Period", nor does he successfully support from scripture the assertion that the Tribulation Period is a time of God's judgment. These are two fundamental points that the Pre-Wrath view has called into question, and which continue to fuel the supposition that pre-tribulationism has some major flaws regarding the timing of the rapture.

Also of interest is the text devoted to imminency. The claim for imminence has been a third component of the Pre-Wrath attack, and MacArthur does provide a good explanation of imminence. However, he avoids the question of "When did Christ's return become imminent?" Since there are specific prophecies which we have seen fulfilled, it can be argued that Christ's return was not imminent until those certain prophecies were fulfilled. For example, Christ Himself prophesied that the Holy Spirit must come. Therefore, His return was not imminent immediately upon His ascension. The same might be said for the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. Since scripture specifically states that God has fixed the time of Christ's coming by His own authority (Acts 1:7), Christ's return is not at "any moment". It will occur at the appointed time, which arguably could be any moment *from our perspective*. This, therefore, is the crux of the problem with imminence: *our perspective* is irrelevant. We must simply, and obediently, be prepared.

Also missing (unless I missed it!) is the classic Rev. 3:10 argument. But then, this is not a "rapture" book as much as it is a premillenial book.

Excellent material, as usual, from one of our generation's greatest expositors.